


Magical Princess Scientist!

by Rozilla



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Autism Spectrum, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Girls on the Spectrum, Inspiring Girls, SO MUCH FLUFF, Science and Magic, Women in Science, and sugar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-19
Updated: 2014-03-19
Packaged: 2018-01-16 07:37:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1337335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rozilla/pseuds/Rozilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane sits in a cafe and spots a special young girl in need of a Princess - or a scientist?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magical Princess Scientist!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Niobium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niobium/gifts).



> Oh-kay. This is very personal, but I have feels, so there you go. I also have a seven year old daughter who is high-functioning autistic, virtually non-verbal, who is literally the centre of my universe. She loves princesses, Barbie, hair, make up and small cute animals - BUT she also loves spooky things (witches in particular), Studio Ghibli, the minions, computers, rock music, playing doctors, cars (she has memorised every model of Citroen ever made I swear), trains and space. She often combines these things (I found her setting up her dolls in a space station), because no one has ever dared to tell her not to. If they did, I would drop kick them like the scary Mamma-bear that I am.   
> This is sort of self-insert fanfic I guess, but it's far more about my daughter than it is about me (though you should be able to spot me in this straight away - hint - not the genius scientist, the thunder god or the small girl).   
> This is basically a chance to make Jane Foster my daughter's role model, as she should be. I always wanted someone who makes me daughter feel twenty feet tall - someone like her - who gets to do science, do magic, be awkward, socially inept, driven, passionate and, maybe, gets the guy as an added bonus. 
> 
> This is also a big thank you to Niobium, who's written some truly inspirational Jane Foster fics that I wish were cannon and make up for the shitty fandom attitude towards a really REALLY important character in the MCU.

Jane didn't drink tea all that often, but felt it was the done thing in London. She ordered an Earl Grey (as British as they come) and sat at a table, breathing in the warm, lemony scent. It was mid-afternoon, a weekday in the school holidays, but the little cafe was virtually empty, save for a woman sitting at a table with a girl who looked to be about five, who was staring and playing with something on an iPad. Jane tried not to stare, but the little girl was wearing a sickly pink, faded princess dress, complete with a tiara nestled in her birds-nest hair. Now that Jane thought about it, the girl was actually quite tall - certainly taller than five - and the dress looked a little too tight on her. She was also wearing big, black heavy boots that kicked rhythmically against the table leg, not to mention that she also had a plastic toy stethoscope and a pair of binoculars around her neck. Dressed for every occasion clearly! It made Jane think back to being on Asgard - she wondered round staring at the technological marvels still dressed in that long blue gown and cloak. She didn't look like a scientist then... but she sure as hell felt like one.

As she watched the girl, whose gaze was wide and green eyed, she started to see something in her - the way she kicked the table, the way she had her thumb in her mouth and fingers in one ear, the way she hummed whilst concentrating at her task - she'd been in the scientific community long enough to recognise the signs of someone on the Spectrum. The woman next to her, presumably the girl's mother, drank her own tea and watched the girl with a look of utter devotion. She leaned over and said 'Amy? Amy? Amy listening?'

The girl looked up at her for a moment, then back at the screen and replied 'Amy listening.'

'Remember, first sandwiches, then cake? Okay?'

'First cake?' The girl asked, clearly trying it on a bit. Her mum sighed 'No, sandwiches first, _then_ cake.'

Amy looked as if she were about to protest, then sighed 'Mummy tea?'

'Yes, Mummy tea,' the woman held up her cup 'then Mummy sandwich.'

'Mummy sandwich!'

Jane smiled a little sadly, then got up to collect her own order as it was called out - a slice of fruit cake and the biggest bacon sandwich she had ever seen.

'Oh,' she remembered just in time 'the person who's having that sandwich, he's not here yet, can you keep it warm for him?'

'Sure,' the woman behind the counter nodded and put it in the oven, leaving Jane with her cake. The little girl's eyes lit up for a moment 'Cake!' she cried delightedly, pointing 'Amy cake!'

Her mother looked pained and said 'No Amy-pie, that's the lady's cake, yours is coming, and you're having sandwiches first remember?'

'Amy cake!' The girl insisted, threatening a tantrum, but the woman had clearly had a lot of experience with this and held the girl's hand 'Amy cake _later_ ,' she soothed 'that's the lady's cake, can you say it?'

'Lady's cake,' Amy repeated, her eyes brimming for a moment, then relaxing when she saw what Jane was wearing 'lady _princess_!'

Jane looked down, she was wearing a shift dress with stars on it, tights and her ankle boots, hardly 'princess' material, but the woman smiled and decided an explanation was in order 'Sorry, she assumes all women in dresses must be princesses, since I never wear them.'

Jane noted that the woman had short hair, a t-shirt, jeans and trainers - she could have passed for a man were it not for the fact she was also wearing bright pink nail varnish and tiny lightening earrings. She then noticed who was on the woman's t-shirt and her heart leapt for a moment.

'Big Thor fan right?' She asked, the woman blushed.

'Oh... yeah... kind of.'

'Mummy _THOR!_ ' Amy cried with delight, to which Mummy looked utterly embarrassed 'Thanks Amy.'

'It's fine,' Jane replied 'he is pretty cool.'

'I'd say! We were on the London Eye when Greenwich happened,' the woman spoke about a million miles an hour 'but I'd been a fan of his since New York, my Mum was worried sick, but Amy wasn't even phased, she was watching the whole thing unfold with barely a blink! The way he flew around though... holy crap! I even researched Norse mythology afterwards- sorry. I try not to fangirl all over the place when people ask me about him.'

'No problem,' Jane chuckled and looked down to glance at Amy's iPad. She was expecting a Princess dress up game or something similar - she didn't expect a robot building game.

'She's a big fan of robots,' her mum nodded proudly 'and cars, she knows pretty much every make and model of Volvo. Don't ask why, it's probably because her Grandad drives one.'

'Oh?' Jane nodded, with a smile.

'I really want her to be interested in science and tech,' her mum sighed and stroked Amy's hair 'but it's hard to find something that combines pink and technology. She won't look at it if it's not pink, despite my best efforts.'

'Well, pink's just a colour,' Jane shrugged 'I'm a scientist and I still love pink-'

'Really?' The woman looked at her a minute 'I wouldn't have thought- sorry, that came out wrong.'

'No it's fine, I'm not usually this dressed up, I normally rock out in jeans and plaid.'

'Same, I haven't worn a dress in weeks. My partner doesn't mind, neither does Amy, so I don't bother most of the time. You waiting for someone?'

'Uh... yeah. You might want to stick around to meet him.'

'Why?'

'You'll see.'

Amy's mum looked a little puzzled but shrugged 'A celebrity or something?'

'Or something.'

'Well, that might make me a few more twitter followers I suppose. Thank you.'

Jane laughed a little and Amy looked up at her 'Princess?'

'Not exactly...' Jane remembered, and pointed to herself 'Scientist.'

'Princess... scientist?'

'Yes... I guess so. Okay.'

Amy seemed satisfied with this answer and pointed to her iPad 'Robots! Amy make robots!'

'Oh yes! They're good! Can you build anything else?'

Amy's mum knelt down to her 'Can you show the lady your telescope?'

Amy pressed the home button on the iPad and scrolled along to a childrens' space exploration app, she opened it and brought up a screen full of stars and a cartoon telescope 'She loves this app, I have to admit I'm pretty sick of the music!'

Jane smiled, she recognised it instantly; she had helped develop it. It allowed children a chance to build a telescope - taking care to remember it's angle and it's range - you had to claim coins to add on extras - and you could use it communicate with different space stations on different planets to find out facts about each one - like the gravity on Mars, how many moons Jupiter has or the temperature on Neptune. By the looks of it - Amy had reached Saturn. She noted that her telescope was, indeed, bright pink and decorated with stars. She had had to relent on that feature - the development company had insisted. Still, if it helped this little girl, surely it was okay?

'I try to get her a variety of things,' her mum was saying, as Amy added some new modifications, 'not just pink and princesses, but science, tech, I try not to think of them as 'boys things' y'know?'

'I understand,' said Jane, 'but it's kind of hard when you're up against the might of the toy industry?'

'Well, yes, but my sister said something to me a year ago, after I relented to buy that princess dress,' the woman looked up at Jane and said 'being a girl isn't a crime - it's thinking that being a girl _only_ equals pink and princesses, they should be able to combine and mix it up.'

Jane thought to all the times she was warned not to look to 'girly' when presenting her work and applying for grants - only to then be told that she ought to be a bit pretty otherwise they wouldn't take her seriously. She had been caught between the two for so long, finding it at best frustrating and worst infuriating that people weren't looking at her work - her research - her huge achievements - they were only looking at her and how she looked.

'Yeah... no I get it,' Jane nodded to her 'but it's changing all the time. It's going to get better.'

'I hope so, she's already got enough barriers against her, she doesn't need to be told she's also _too girly_ to be a scientist or an engineer or a programmer,' Amy's mum smiled sadly 'I take it you noticed she's autistic?'

'Uh.. yeah,' Jane looked at Amy with her huge green eyes and pretty, heart shaped face - but there was something obviously different about her.

'It's pretty obvious isn't it? I'm afraid she's got that from me, I was a bit of a weird kid to.'

'Same here,' said Jane 'but I had a lot of support, both of my parents were scientists.'

'What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?'

Jane hesitated, but felt sure, in a way she couldn't put her finger on, she could trust this woman, 'Jane Foster.'

Amy's mum smiled 'I thought so! I saw you on TV a few months back! You're an astrophysicist right? The one who is researching trans-dimensional bridges? The one who knows-'

'Jane!'

Thor's voice could travel through plexi-glass, so it boomed around the cafe despite himself. He was dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and light jacket, with his hair tied back, but Amy's mum turned and looked at him in awe.

'Holy... crap...' she squeaked and pulled out her smart-phone, scrolling through endless photos of Amy. She held it up to his face and then looked at him 'omigod! You're _him_!'

Jane stifled a laugh, Thor merely chuckled 'I am he, how may I be of service?'

Amy turned in her seat and looked up at her mother, who was clearly having a mild panic attack at this point 'Mummy laughing?'

'Yes... Mummy laughing and hyperventilating!'

Thor smiled indulgently, then turned to the little girl, who looked up at him with enormous, saucer-eyes, smiling his best smile 'Who is this charming creature? What a beautiful gown!'

'Amy princess!' Amy said proudly, getting off her chair to look up at Thor 'Amy princess scientist!'

Thor knelt down to her, though he was still head and shoulders above her 'I am Thor Odinson, I am a Prince of Asgard, delighted to make your acquaintance Amy Princess of Science.'

Jane promised herself she would make Thor's night for this, he was so _effortless_ with children. She wondered if Asgardian children had things like developmental delays or neurological conditions? How would Thor react if she told him? He didn't seem to notice or, indeed, if he did he still treated the little girl the same way he treated everyone in his good graces - with charm, courtly manners and deference. Amy laughed and bowed back 'Thor Prince!' She repeated, taking his hand and pulling him to the iPad 'Scientist! Look! Wow!'

He got up to look at the iPad, at the telescope app and nodded 'Truly a magnificent device, did you build this?'

'Amy build the telescope?' Her mum wheezed, trying to find her voice.

'Amy build telescope! Amy find Neptune!'

'I would expect nothing less!' he now looked up at Jane, who smiled back at him 'look to Jane little one, she is also a Princess of Science.'

'No I'm not!' Jane scoffed, but still grinning.

Thor got to his feet and leaned in toward her, voice low and soft 'A mere formality, but I suppose to make it official you would have to marry a prince.'

Jane flushed from head to toe - oh boy. They had _not_ discussed this. Luckily, Amy's mum appeared to be too shaky and overwhelmed to notice.

'One step at a time,' she whispered back, 'you've got a bacon sandwich waiting for you first.'

'Excellent!'

'Um...' Amy's mum picked herself up and tried to focus 'sorry to interrupt, sorry to intrude, but I would really appreciate a photo - I promise it won't go on Twitter or anything and I won't mention where we were - it would just... you can say no-'

'It is not a problem,' Thor turned 'are you Amy's mother?'

'I am,' she nodded, her face pink and her hands shaking 'I'm a... bit of a fan of yours... you were _awesome_ in Greenwich.'

'T'was not just me,' Thor held a hand out to Jane 'it was Jane's science that truly save your realm, and my own.'

'It was a combined effort,' Jane pointed out.

'She's too modest,' Thor looked on her with adoration, in a way that made Jane want to melt on the spot 'she is the one who deserves your adoration good lady.'

'Mummy lady!' Amy said cheerfully, which made her mum chuckle 'Hah! Only just...'

'I would happily oblige,' said Thor 'if you do not mind, Princess Amy, may I borrow your mother?'

Amy's mum could barely contain herself at this, but Amy cocked her head to one side and said 'Mummy, Mummy and Thor.'

'I shall take that as a yes,' Thor bowed to her 'I thank you for this honour Princess.'

The photos would stay on the phone and never enter any social media, but on bad days when Amy was inconsolable or there were meetings with the school about her provision, or there were forms to fill in about her benefits, they did provide Amy's mum with more than a little comfort. Her daughter had met a superhero, who treated her with kindness and understanding, called her a Princess and a Scientist, and a _real life honest to goodness scientist_ who had paved the path a head for her future. Something was shifting and changing for Amy, perhaps a new life ahead of her -where she unlocked something amazing- and it would be down to Jane Foster.

They waved goodbye leaving on a haze of fangirlish glee and barely contained excitement, as Jane and Thor settled in to their meal.

'Truly a unique child,' mused Thor, devouring the sandwich in less than twenty minutes 'what my mother could have called a Moon-child.'

Jane tensed a little; she did not mention his mother often, or Loki, for fear of stirring unpleasant memories and grief, but she looked up at him to see that he was merely contemplative - though there was a hint of longing and sadness that even Jane could spot.

'What's a Moon-child?' She asked, touching his hand so that he gently clasped her fingers.

'They are children who seem... different,' he said, clearly picking his words 'often without the speech of other children, but with a passion and focus unheard of in many. They are often gifted with the _seidr,_ my mother taught many such children before she became Queen.'

'I see...' _So they do have autism on Asgard, or something much like it._

'She seemed happy,' Thor mused 'so content, so unencumbered with life. That is how children should be.'

Jane took his hand in her's 'You were so good with her, thank you.'

'Think nothing of it.'

They sat in thoughtful silence for a while, fingers gently touching, until Jane smiled, looking at the table 'You'd make an amazing Dad.'

She cursed herself instantly, _why the hell had she said that? Seriously?_ _Of all the-_

'Perhaps,' Thor lifted his hand to his lips 'We shall see.'

'Will we now?'

Thor gave her that smile, the one that made her slightly insensible, 'I cannot say for certain, but I know this,' he fixed her gaze with his, eyes blue and fierce 'they would have your cleverness and bravery, your knowledge and brilliance. That makes me excited to meet them, but I shall content myself with your company, Princess of Science.'


End file.
